Hoofin' it With Ari
by ToniJerboa
Summary: He's buff, he's rude, and he's snooty. She's sassy, she's smart, and she's feisty. Ari Zen Zell has been unfortunately paired up with Equius Zahhak. Can these two deal with living together WITHOUT killing one another?
1. Chapter 1: The Unfair Pair

_Hello everyone, I bring another installment of Homestuck Fanfictions. This fanfiction will feature Ari Zen Zell (OC), Equius Zahhak, Nepeta Lejon, and Lexii (OC.) I hope you guys will enjoy this fanfic._

_Disclaimer: This fanfiction will include swear words, violence, mental illness, sexual themes. Read at your own risk. _

Chapter 1: The Unfair Pair.

It was morning, and the ginger colored squirrel known as Ari was in her bed. She was softly snoring, until her phone had disturbed her from her slumber. She jerked upwards, looking at her phone. It was one of her associates, Samantha. She answered the phone while getting out of bed. "Aaaah… Yes ?" She said with a yawn escaping her rodent mouth. "Hello Ari. I am terribly sorry for disturbing your sleep, but I am in a bit of a bind. I need your help." She said on the other line.

Ari rubbed her tired eyes. "Sure. What may I assist you with? Something broken? Need a new coffee pot? Need me to upgrade something?" She asked. Ari was one of the town's scientists, and everyone who knew this information, would know that she would help with anything scientific. Or building wise. "No no. Just… Come to City Hall hun." She replied. Ari blinked at the phone. "Uh… Sure." She said, rather hesitantly.

A small sigh of relief came from the other line. "Thank you Ari. I promise I'll make this worth your time." Samantha said before hanging up. Ari rolled her eyes before getting dressed. She dressed herself in a shirt, yoga pants, and her lab coat. She took the time to brush her hair out and put her sneakers. She makes herself a piece of toast, a hard fried egg, and makes herself a sandwich.

She grabs her science bag, and heads out to City Hall. Ari doesn't use a car, simply because its easier to walk to your destination. Or take a bus. And she could take in the fresh air. She looked around at her surroundings, taking in the beauty of it. She adjusted her glasses, and took a bite out of her 'breakfast'. She continues her trek to City Hall. It wasn't that far after all.

She made it to City Hall, and walked up the steps. Her calves a touch sore from the walk, but she pressed on. As she made it inside, she saw a lot of people bustling around. Some had papers in their arms, some rushing around, some making important phone calls. She didn't seem to be phased. It WAS City Hall. It was bound to be busy on some days. She had seen a desk worker, and went up to him.

As she approached him, he looked up at her, with a glazed look in his eyes. "May I help you?" He said with a droll tone in his voice. Ari nodded. "Yes, Ms. Stark requested me." She answered, while setting her bag down. He was typing away at his computer. "Name please?" He asked, while looking back at her. Ari rolled her eyes softly. "Ari. Ari Zen Zell." She said. He looked around on his computer.

He turned his head back to Ari. "Nope. Not on the schedule." He said. Ari looked peeved. "She CALLED me this morning. I know she did." She said, feeling quite annoyed. He shook his head 'no'. "Nope. Sorry miss. If its not on here, then-" He started out, before a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Now now, Kyle. I DID call Ms. Zen Zell." Said a woman. He looked up, and saw Samantha. Her grip STRONG on his shoulder.

He let out an audible, '_ULP_' in fear. Samantha lets him go, and gestures for Ari to follow her. She follows behind Samantha. "So, Ms. Stark. What is it that you request from me?" She asks. Samantha looks back at her. "Ari, you can cut the formalities honey. Just call me Samantha. Or Sam works just fine." She responds to her. "...Okay… Samantha… What is it that I'm needed for?" Ari asks.

As soon as they walk into an office, Ari notices one of those Alternians that was all over the news. Samantha gestures for her to sit down, while she sits in a chair. Ari sits in the chair, next to this Alterinan. "Now. The reason why you've been called in Ari. We need your help with this young man here." Samantha starts. Ari glances at him. "Okay… What does he need from me?" She asks.

Samantha leaned back in her chair. "He needs a place to stay." She finishes. Ari makes a small sour face. "Well… Okay? I could probably get it done in a few months. Until then he should be in a ho-" She started out. "No no. I mean… He could stay with you." Samantha interjected. Ari's face turned to annoyance. "Uh… No ma'am, no ham, no TURKEY! Why my place?!" She asked. Samantha pouted softly. "Well.. Simply…" She started.

She pulled out a few pictures, and showed them to Ari. "...He's too strong for anything we have made ourselves." She explained. The pictures were of at least 3 houses that he used to reside in, and that are now down to nearly crumbles. Ari looked at him, her eyes a bit wide. "...Aaah… Anger issues?" She asked, a little nervous. Before Samantha could answer, the Alterinan spoke. "Actually… No. It's just that your… Primitive buildings are no match for me." He explained.

Ari looked a bit confused. "TOO strong? Okay, I think your telling me a crock of crap." She said snarkily. Samantha held out her fuzzy palm. Ari inspected it. There was quite a big, and noticeable bruise on it. Ari's eyes went over to the Alternian, and she let out a growl before pulling out a wrench. "You dare hurt one of my friends?!" She chittered at him. He sat there, not even phased. "Sit down, you low blooded peasant. You couldn't match up to me." He retorted, while crossing his arms.

Samantha got in between them. "Now now! Stop, Ari!... You said friend, and not associate…" She said, with a smirk on her face. Ari's face flushed. "A-aah. Shush. Your cool to be around. Now, start explaining that bruise!" Ari demanded. Samantha cleared her throat, getting Ari to sit back down. "Now. Mr… I'm sorry sweetie. What's your name again?" She asked, while turning to the Alterinan.

He took a small pause before giving an answer. "...Equius. Equius Zahhak." He answers softly. Samantha smiles. "Thank you hun. Mr. Zahhak here shook my hand. And he had bruised it, due to his strength." Samantha explained. Ari sat back in her seat, looking over at this Equius. She still felt uncomfortable with him staying at her house. "...What makes you think I'm going to let him stay with me?" She asked.

Samantha smirked. "You'd be getting paid for it." She answered. Ari sat there, thinking about it. "...How much?" She asked Samantha. She had written down a number on a piece of paper, and slide it over to her. Ari picked it up, and looked at it. She adjusted her glasses, and continued to look at it. Her eyes met Samantha's. "You son of a bitch, I'm in." She said with a smirk.

Ari grabbed Samantha's hand, and shook it. They both had a grin on their faces. She looked over to Equius, who still sat in a chair. "Alright… Equius. Let's go." She said. He looked away from her. "Do I REALLY have to go with this… Lowblood?" He asked Samantha. Ari's ears pricked. "...What did he just call me?" She asked. Samantha quickly let her outside. "Stay here, I'll handle him." She replied, before closing the office door.

Ari sat down on the floor. "Lowblood eh? I'll give him a lowblood…" She muttered under her breath. Back inside with Samantha and Equius, Samantha stood over by a window. "...Now listen here, Mr. Zahhak. That woman out there is a good friend of mine. If you want a place to stay, you'll treat her with the utmost respect. Do I make myself clear Mr. Zahhak?" She said sternly.

He looked at her, giving a small shudder. "... Yes." He replied. Samantha smiled. "Good! Now, here is what you should know about the person your going to be living with." She said, while pulling out a sheet of paper, and giving it to him. He read over the sheet of paper, which read as follows.

_**Name: Ari Zen Zell.**_

_**Age: 24 years old.**_

_**Gender: Female.**_

_**Species: Red Ground Squirrel.**_

_**Orientation: Bi-sexual.**_

_**Birthday: 10/13/95**_

_**Personality: Sassy, nice (Only to her friends), sarcastic.**_

_**Occupation: One of the town's many scientists. **_

_**Height: 5'2 ft.**_

_**Weight: 135 lbs.**_

The rest included what she liked, and didn't like, her favorite foods and drinks, and so forth. He glanced up at Samantha. "...Is this really necessary?" He asked. Samantha nodded her head 'yes'. "This is correct, Mr. Zahhak. This will help you get to know her better, maybe bond over some things. If I can recall, you said you were an engineer on your homeland?" She asked him. He looked away, and gave a gentle nod. "Yes. That is… Correct." He answered.

Samantha patted his shoulder, her hand getting a fresh bruise again. "See? You two will have something to bond over." She said with a grin. Equius still frowned. "I don't know… If this is going to be a good idea. Her primitive equipment would be no match for my skills." He said snarkily. Samantha let out a small snarl, and quickly regained herself. "Now listen here Mr. Zahhak. You need a place to live, don't you?" She asked.

He soon let out a small sigh. "...Yes." He answered her, reluctantly. "...Good. Now in her house, her word is the law. What she says, GOES. She has rules, and you MUST respect them. You don't have to call her miss, but you don't call her a low blooded peasant. Call her Ari." Samantha said, her voice stern. "Do I make myself clear, Mr. Zahhak?" She asked, while looking at him. He nodded his head yes, with a bead of sweat going down his forehead.

Samantha let out a small sigh of relief, and she opens the door. "Good. Now, go on. I have other matters to attend to." She said while gesturing. He got up from his seat, and walked out. He looked at Ari, who was sitting on the ground. She got up, dusting herself off. "...Ready to go?" She asked him. He let out a small 'Mm' while giving her a nod. She lead the way to her house.

During the walk, it was rather quiet. Ari did NOT like new people, or small talk. But since he was going to live with her, she might as well get to know him. "...So… Equius… What do you like to do for fun?" She started. She mentally beat herself up. That was the most plainest opener question. He was silent for a moment, before giving her his answer. "Well… I enjoy building." He answered, hesitantly.

Ari nodded. "Alright. Anything else?" She asked curiously. He paused for a moment, before answering. "I really enjoy Musclebeast art…" He said, starting to get a bit sweaty. Ari looked confused for a moment. "Musclebeast art? I'm not sure what that is… Maybe you could explain that to me?" Ari asked in a kind manner.

Equius looked at her, and quickly explained. "Its… Art of Musclebeasts. I thought it would be obvious to you. But, I guess someone like you wouldn't know. So I guess I'll explain it to you." He said, snarkily. Ari's ears gently flopped at his statement. "Now just a second there mister! Are you trying to call me dumb? Because if so, I refuse to take that lying down!" She said, standing in front of him.

Equius snorted, and crossed his arms. "I wasn't saying that. I was simply saying… You're uninformed." He said, while rolling his eyes. Ari adjusted her glasses, before moving out of his way. "...Fine. That sounds better. Sorry. I just don't… Like being called stupid, or being belittled. I've had enough of that in school." She said, while looking away.

Equius let out a small sigh before explaining. "Musclebeasts on Alterina were these hooved creatures. They were… Half man and half hoofbeast…" He explained. Ari nodded softly. "So… They were like Centaurs on your planet. Interesting. And you enjoy the artwork that is made of them?" She asked him. He paused for a moment, getting a bit sweaty again at the thought of his musclebeast art.

Ari looked away swiftly, getting uncomfortable at how he looks. "S-so.. Uh.. Anything else?" She asked softly. He quickly snapped out of it, and gave her a quick answer. "No." He says, while looking away. "Uh… Okay…" Ari said, while continuing to walk. They both continue to walk to Ari's house. Nothing more was said between them, until they reached their destination.

Once they had reached Ari's building, Ari had used her hand print to access the door. The door quickly opened, and she walked in. Equius followed her inside. "Okay Equius. This is uh.. My place. Its not much, but you know." She said, while hanging up her bag. Equius had his bag, and walked around. He saw a few pictures on the walls, a few scrolls of Japanese writing, a clock or two, and 2 pieces of important documents, with her name on it.

He looked at her, as she was taking off her lab coat. "Well, since you are a builder, I can let you go into my lab. BUT. I must be there with you. I can't leave you by yourself." She said, while sitting at a barstool. He just stood around, not really sitting. Ari looked at him. "Uh… There's a chair right there. Make yourself comfy." She said. He looked at her, and sat down in a chair.

She looked down the hall, and stood up for a moment. "I'm going to see if I have a room cleared for you." She said, while walking into the hallway. He nodded, with a small hum. She walks into a room. It had a few boxes in it, some dust, and some cobwebs. She started to move some boxes off to the side, and get the bed made. As soon as she moved one of the boxes, the bottom of it, broke open.

She sighed softly, and started clearing the books from the broken box. She got his future room together in a short time. She grabbed the sheets off of the bed, and put them in a bin to be washed. She walked out with the bin. "Okay, I have your room setup. I just need to wash these sheets." She said. Equius nodded his head. He was still seated in his chair, almost rather stoically. Ari stared at him, unsure of what else to say.

She took the bin, and threw its contents in the wash. She walked herself back to the room where she had left him, and noticed he was gone. She sighed softly, thinking he went to the bathroom. And she remembered, he doesn't even know where it is. She starts looking around, calling out his name. "H-hey! Equius! W-where are you?" She asked, while checking in the bathroom.

She leaves the bathroom, walking down the hall. She had noticed her door was open. So she crept up, and poked her head in. Equius was curiously looking through her clothing, and held up one of her panties. Ari squeaked, and ZIPPED into the room. "H-hey! Get out of there!" She chattered at him. He looked down at her, while still holding her lace underwear in his muscular hand. She looked MORTIFIED.

She kept trying to snatch the undergarments away from him. "For a lowblood, you wear VERY thin clothing. How do you wear it?" He asked, while inspecting it. Ari's face was flushed with embarrassment. "Thats my UNDERWEAR! Now give them to me!" She said, while finally snatching them away from him. She put them back in their proper drawer. Equius looked a bit confused, but had a puddle of sweat at his feet.

He stared at her. "..." Ari closed the drawer, and turned around to say something. "Now listen! I don't mind you staying here, but we need to set down some-" She said while stopping in her tracks. She looked up at Equius, and even though he wore glasses, he had a strange look that Ari had never seen on a guy before. Ari backed up near her bed, feeling threatened. "L-look man, I don't know what your thinking… But whatever it is… No means NO." She said while looking nervous.

He shook his head for a moment, snapping himself out of it. "What are you rambling on about? I merely was curious about those… Underwear." Equius said, with a few beads of sweat on his head. Ari looked at him. "... What are you curious about? How they work? If I have any? What?" Ari asked, while sitting up. "Why were they so thin? Then again, for a... Lowblood like yourself, you probably weren't able to afford proper underwear." He said, while stroking his chin.

Ari looked pissed. "EXCUSE ME! I bought them like that so that I could… Look… Ugh… Attractive." She said, while looking away. Equius raised an eyebrow. But, before he could say anything more, he was pushed out of the room. "Now out, out, out!" Ari chittered. She locked her room door, and lead him back to the living room. "N-now Equius, U-uh… Are you… Hungry?" She asked, her cheeks were still flushed from embarrassment.

He paused for a moment, and gave a slight nod. "I am rather famished." He answered. Ari sighed softly. "Okay. What would you like to eat? Is there any restrictions? Allergies?" Ari asked, while pulling out a metal chair for him to sit in. He sat in the chair, and thought for a moment. "A salad." He said, while crossing his arms. Ari nodded. "Alright. Just give me a moment, and I'll make you a salad. Anything to drink?" She asked, while opening her fridge.

He thought for a moment. "Hm… Do you have any… Musclebeast milk?" He asked. Ari paused for a moment, looking around. "Uh… I just… Have milk." She answered him. He nodded. "That'll do." He said, while looking down at the table, inspecting it. Ari, grabs out the milk, and she looks at him, and thinks for a moment. She pulls out one of her metal cups, and pours the milk in it, before handing it to him.

_Well, seems like things are already getting awkward between them. Hopefully Ari can Tolerate him enough to keep him in the house, and out of trouble. _

_If you liked this chapter, please Fave or critique! :)_

_See you in the next chapters me lil gems!_

_~ToniJerboa._


	2. Chapter 2: Knight Terrors

_Here is the awaited chapter 2 of Hoofin' it with Ari! _

_Enjoy! :)_

Chapter 2: Knight Terrors.

He takes the cup, the metal slightly bends in the shape of his hand, but is still usable. He takes a sip of the milk, and sets the cup down. Ari luckily had premade salad mix in her fridge that she recently bought. She pours some into a bowl for him. "Here you go." She says, while placing the full bowl in front of him, along with a fork. He grabs the fork, and as expected, it breaks. Ari looks at the fork, and grabs another.

This fork looks like it is made with tougher materials than the last fork. "Here. This one should be a bit tougher." She tells him. "Let's hope so." He responds gruffly, while taking the replacement fork. This fork doesn't break, but it does however bend. "Good enough." Ari said, while making herself a plate of salad. He carefully digs his fork into the salad, and pulls up a leafy green.

He brings it to his mouth, and settles it in his mouth. He chews it for a moment, and turns his face into a sour expression. Ari notices, and pouts. "What's wrong? Has it gone bad?" She asked him. He shakes his head 'no', and gently pushes the plate forward, causing it to slightly chip on the side. "N-no. It just tastes funny. I can't eat it. I demand something else." He answers, while crossing his arms.

Ari frowns, and sets her bowl down. "Demand? Look buddy, I don't take bullshit from people, so don't give me any!" She chattered at him. He looked offended for a moment. "What language!" He said, while covering his mouth. Ari softly snarled. "Try saying PLEASE and let's see if I get you something else." She said, while adjusting her glasses. He lets out a small sigh. "...Please make me something else." He said, looking away.

Ari softened up. "Thats better. Thank you. Now, I have some steak here. Would you like me to make it for you?" Ari asked while bending over to look in her fridge. "...Sure." He answers, with a few beads of sweat going down his forehead. She pulls out the steak, and starts to heat up the stove. "Alright. It'll just be a moment. Do you have a preference on how to eat it?" She asked, while grabbing a skillet.

He sat there with his arms still crossed like a pouting child. "...No. What does… The chef recommend?" He asks her, tilting his head up, to look at her. She paused for a moment. "Uh… I don't eat meat very often. But, I know my cousins like it medium rare. They like to taste a little blood in the meat." Ari answered, while greasing up the skillet.

He looked puzzled for a moment again. "Co...Sins?" He said, slowly. She was seasoning the steak before putting it in the skillet. "Yeah, cousins. They're like… The kid of your aunt and uncle." She explained. He sat there puzzled even more. What were these terms? What do they mean? "...What is an.. Ant? And uncle?" He asked her. Ari sighed softly. She could tell it was going to be a long night full of questions.

She prepared herself. "W-well ahem! An Aunt and uncle are the brother and sister of your parents. Now, let me ask you a question. This will help me explain this better." She said, while setting the steak into the hot skillet. Equius sat straight up, ready for the questions she may have. "Now, on your planet…" She starts off, while washing her palms of the raw meat.

He looks at her, listening intently. "Do you have parents? You know, someone who's in your life to help you? Like… Guide you through right wrong? Teach you things?" She asks him while pulling out a two pronged fork. He thought for a second, and gave her a direct answer. "Yes. We don't call them… Parents persay… We call them Lusus." He answers her. She nods softly.

She continues on to explain. "Okay. Say if that lusus has a… Brother. Now, a brother is someone related to you. Same with sisters, aunts, uncles and so forth. The brother is someone who is born by the same parents of yours." She said, while stirring the meat around in the skillet. Equius started to get lost. "Your losing me, Lowblood." He said sternly.

Ari huffed. "Look, its hard to explain a whole ass family tree, complete with examples. I'm doing my best, cut me some slack." She said, while continuing the cooking. "And, might I add, I'm cooking YOUR dinner. Its not easy to explain this kinda crap to someone who doesn't know. I'm trying my best, so just please… Give… Me… A break Eildie." She said, nearly breaking down.

Equius looked confused. "Who?" Ari's ears twitched. "A-aah I mean… Equius." She said, trying to fix her mistake. "...Who is…. Eildie?" He asked her. Ari nearly dropped the skillet on the floor, before giving a sigh. "...May I finish your food first, and then explain?" She asked, pitifully. He sat back in his chair, and gave her a nod. "Fine." He answered. He watched her cook. The delicious smell of steak wafting in his nostrils.

He was nearly drooling, but something kept his mind on her. Who was this Eildie, and why did she mistook him for that person? He'd have to wait until she was done cooking, otherwise she'd stop. Soon enough, Ari was done with his steak. She had plated it, and made it look presentable. "There you go. All done." She said, softly.

She grabbed him a sturdy steak knife, and handed it to him. "Here, for cutting the steak." She explained. He took the knife, and fork, and dug into the steak. Ari grabbed his empty cup, and refilled it, while grabbing herself a soda. She set his cup down next to his plate. "...Need anything else Equius?" She asked. He shook his head no.

She sat down, poured a bit of dressing on her salad, and dug in. Equius seemed to enjoy the steak. It was juicy, and had some good flavor. For someone who didn't eat meat often, sure knows how to cook it. Ari sat there, quietly eating her salad, and not making any sort of eye contact with Equius. Soon after, Equius was done with the steak.

He wiped his face of any grease, or sauce, and finished his milk. Ari didn't even notice. He cleared his throat to get her attention. She looked up at him. "Yes? Sorry, I was in my thoughts." She said, while sitting herself straight up. "...Tell me who this Eildie is, Lowblood." He said, while crossing his arms. Ari sighed softly. "I have a NAME you know." She said softly.

He was silent for a moment. "...Fine. Tell me who that is...Ari." He said, with his stone face. Ari took a moment, and started to explain. "Eildie is… My mother. And… I don't speak of her." She said, while grabbing dishes, and setting them in the sink. "...Why don't you speak of her?" He had asked her. Ari swiftly turned around. "Because she's a bitch and I wish she wasn't my mom." She said, with a faux smile before walking off.

Equius stood up, and followed after her. "I demand you tell me about her, lowblood." Equius said. Ari didn't respond to him. Equius snorted softly, and decided to knock on her door. When he did so, her door fell straight down. Right off of their hinges. Ari looked up, and quickly wiped her face. "Aaah! Hey that was my door!" She squawked at him. Equius crossed his arms. "Now tell me." He said stiffly.

Ari looked at him, pissed. "Equius, look. I don't WANT to talk about it. She doesn't matter." She answered, while trying to pick up her door. "Now please help me fix my door!" She said, while somewhat struggling. Equius rolled his eyes, and grabbed the door. Ari backed up, letting him lift it up. She got a decent look at his muscular features, and they looked quite nice. Her cheeks flushed.

"I have the door up." Equius said, while holding up the door. Ari ignored him, studying his body. He looked down at her, who was staring at him, but not his face. "AHEM." He cleared his throat. Ari looked up, and jumped. "R-right! Sorry!" She squeaked, while running to grab her equipment. She trotted back with her tools, and set them down. "Okay, this won't take long Equius." She said.

He gave her a nod. "Fine." He responded. Ari took out a screw driver, and some screws. She started to work on the door. "What were you looking at?" He asked her. She looked up, and decided to be half honest. "Well, you." She started out. "I could see that, but why?" He asked. "Well, your muscles kinda caught me off guard. You look like a healthy individual." She answered, while putting in another screw.

Equius smirked, and flexed one of his biceps. "Well I am pretty STRONG." He said smugly. Ari cheeks grew darker. {Ari, snap out of it! Its just a big, dumb guy with muscles! But… They do look nice…} "You sure are! I mean, with one knock you took my door down!" She said, with a chuckle.

Equius looked at her, with his gap toothy smirk. "Well maybe is it because your primitive door was no match for me?" He asked. Ari finished up the door. "W-well it could be! I mean, its made for humans, and furs like us." She answered. Equius nodded while letting go of the door. "That does make sense. Now, getting back to what I was here for originally." He said, while picking up Ari by her shirt, slowly causing the collar to stretch.

"Eeep!" She squeaked, as he sat her on her bed. "Tell me about this Eildie." He demanded. Ari looked away, and sighed. "Fine. She is-er WAS my mom. Or in your terms, Lusus. She wasn't a very good one." She explained, while twiddling her thumbs. He sat next to her. "Is that all? So what? All lusus can do questionable things. It's nothing new for us." Equius said. Ari looked at him with a frown.

She looked away for a moment. "Well for us, its not normal. It's not normal for a parental figure for them to… Do questionable things. I hate her. Look, I'd prefer not to get too into it. Lets just leave it at her parental skills were horrible at best." She said, while trying to brush it off. He looked at her for a moment. "You know. Sometimes… Our lusus does something that is… Unforgivable. But it could be for a reason. We may not understand the reason, but we shouldn't question why." Equius said.

Ari still had a frown. "But they are supposed to protect us, not hurt us. I just don't understand." She said, while wiping a tear away. "... She did protect you Lowblood. She protected you until you were ready. It may not have been the best way, but she still did protect you. You may not understand. And… Its alright." He said while looking out of a nearby open window.

Ari looked up at him. "...What was yours like?" She asked softly. He looked downwards. "Aurthour was the best lusus there was. He was so STRONG, and majestic." He said, with a small smile. "I wish I was able to have pet him." He said, his smile turning into a frown. Ari looked sad, and patted his back, causing to give herself a small bruise on her hand. "I'm sorry Equius. I'm glad you had a good relationship with him." She said, softly.

He nodded his head. "At least you have some fond memories of him, right?" She asked softly. He nodded his head yes. "Correct." He answered her. "Then thats what matters. And I'm sure he was glad to be your lusus. Remember, he stayed with you, and didn't leave you. I'm not sure if thats how it works or not, but hey. I'm trying." Ari said softly. Equius gave her a small smile.

"For a lowblood… You aren't…That bad." He said nicely. Ari smiled at his comment. "Well thanks. For a big, buff, guy, you aren't scary." She said with a chuckle. Equius gently elbowed her. "Hey, I can be scary when I need to be, lowblood." He said, while looking a bit stern. Ari squeaked. "I-i know, I mean you look approachable." Ari said, with a small stutter. Equius soon relaxed, leaning back into the wall.

He sinks back a little more than needed, due to his strength. He made the bed sink in just a bit, but not too much. Ari looked at him, and was curious. "Hey, Equius?" She said. He looked at her. "Yes?" He answered. She sat back as well. "...What's romance like where your from?" She asked him. He adjusted his shades, before giving her an answer. "Well… For you it may be a little complex. But I will do my best to explain it." He started.

Ari sat comfortably, ready to listen to him. "Well… Uh Trolls have… A very different way of romance. To start, we have these things called quadrants." He starts off. Ari nods her head. "And we have four of them." He adds. Ari looked a bit confused. "Four? Thats a lot." She said, while crossing her arms. "Well, for someone who's not… You know… Its a lot." She said, her voice trailing off.

After one hour of Equius explaining troll romances, and what they mean, Ari was dead tired. "So, that is our… Romance in a Nutshell." He concludes. Ari was silent. He looked down at the ginger colored squirrel, whom has passed out. He didn't even notice that she fell asleep on him. He studied the sleeping squirrel, she was softly snoring, her chest rising and falling. He tried to slowly get up, as to not disturb Ari.

Out of Ari's instinct, she clings onto Equius. He grunts, looking at her with a slight uncomfortable face. He wanted to move, but he just couldn't bring himself to move. She had reminded him of his moirail, of when she used to fall asleep on his lap like that. He gave a small sigh, and made himself comfortable on her bed, leaning back on the wall. He rested his head carefully on the wall behind him.

His eyes glanced down at Ari once more, and he gently petted her floofy hair. He smirked at her, and thought once more. {_She's... Not so bad_.} His mind soon wandered over to his Moirail, Nepeta. He wondered if she was okay, and if she was safe somewhere. He hoped she was in good hands. Maybe he could look for her tomorrow, and catch up with her. His eyes soon closed, and he drifted off to sleep.

During the middle of the night, while Equius was fast asleep, Ari was having a nightmare. She was starting to stir about, and kick her legs at something. Equius was kicked awake, and looked down at Ari, whom was struggling in her sleep. She looked like her nightmares were trying to harm her. At some point, she had her own hands wrapped around her neck, as if something was choking her.

Equius started to shake her awake, trying to shake her from her nightmare. She was whimpering, and breathing heavily from fear. She finally woke up, with one small pinch on her arm, she jolted upright in pain from the pinch. She looked at her softly bruised arm, and up at Equius whom's lap she was in. She looked at him, and rubbed her eyes, to be sure that she wasn't dreaming.

His hand rested on her back, while his other rested at his side. "...Are you… Alright? You appeared to be having a nightmare." He asked her. She got off of his lap, and looked away. "A-aah… I-i'm... Fine." She answered, while rubbing her shoulder. He looked at her, and stood up. "...Listen Lowblood, I can TELL when someone isn't… Okay. And you clearly aren't." He said sternly, while putting his hand on her shoulder.

Ari flinched, and punched his hand, causing him to drawback. She covered her mouth in shock, surprised that she hit him. "Oh my gosh! I'm… I'm so sorry!" She squeaked. He didn't look upset at all. "Its okay… Lowblood. Are you… Okay? And do NOT lie to me." He said, while glaring at her. Even though he wore shades, his glare could still be felt through them.

She looked away at her one of her posters, and let out a small sigh. "...I just… Had a nightmare. It seemed too real. Its like… One of those nightmares where you can't tell if its real or not." She answered swiftly. He relaxed his stare, and looked away. "Is that all?" He asked her. She wasn't making eye contact, but she nodded her head yes to his question. He let out a small sigh.

She had turned back around to face him. "B-but I'm okay! Really! Honest. Don't worry about me." She said, while crossing her arms. "I had recently watched a scary movie before you arrived, and it must still be sticking with me." She lied, through her teeth. Before he could ask anymore questions, Ari shoved him out into the room where he would stay. "Okay, time for bed! Here's your pillow and blanket! Goodnight!" She said, while tossing the items to him before leaving the room.

_I hope you guys really liked this chapter, I can't wait to see you all in the next one! _

_See you!_

_~ToniJerboa. _


	3. Chapter 3: The Unexpected Visitor

_Hey hey! Chapter 3! Let's get it! I hope you guys like this chapter! :D _

_Enjoy!_

_~ToniJerboa_

_Warning: Eating disorder hinted at, and painful theme._

Chapter 3: The Unexpected Visitor.

The next day, Ari woke up and stretched out as she did each morning. As she stretched, she couldn't help but notice Equius' smell in her bed. She shook her head, thinking it was probably sweat, and that she'll wash it later. She got out of her bed, gently adjusting her short shorts before exiting her room. She leaves her room, and goes into the bathroom to use the toilet.

As she pulled her shorts and underwear down, and sat on the toilet, her eyes drifted closed again as she went. As soon as she was done, she wiped, and flushed the toilet, while pulling up her lower articles of clothing. She bent over to wash her hands in the sink, not noticing the bathroom's occupancy. Before Equius could say anything, Ari had already made her way out of the bathroom, and into the kitchen.

He gently sighed, while hurrying up to scrub himself down. He couldn't help but feel a little bit embarrassed that he was walked in on, but it wasn't like she saw anything, so it should be fine. He rinsed the soap off of his body, and scrubbed his hair. It had probably reeked of sweat and other gross smells. He wanted to be sure he at least smelled decent if he was going to be living with someone else.

Meanwhile with Ari, she was in the kitchen cooking. She had her floofy hair in a messy bun, and she had her music on in her ears. She had a decent groove going, swishing her hips from side to side, muttering a few of the lyrics. "Mmmm run through the parkin' lot.. Mmff. Tag your it, t-tag your it.." She hummed while she cooked, scrambling some eggs, and cooking a steak on the other skillet.

Equius came out of the bathroom, drying off his damp hair with his towel, and he sat at the table. He watched Ari lazily dancing while cooking, as he sat back in his chair. She grabbed a plate, and settled Equius' food on it before setting it on the table. She took out an earbud, and started to call out for Equius. "Equius! Breakfast!" She called out.

As she was setting the plate down on the table, her eyes met his, and she nearly jumped. "G-gah! Gods your fast!" She said, while placing a hand on her chest, to calm her fast paced heart. He raised an eyebrow at her remark. "I've been here for five minuets Lowblo- Ahem. Ari." He said, while crossing his arms. Her face went hot, realizing he saw her dancing around. "A-aah you didn't uh…" She started.

He rubbed his forehead. "...Yes I did. And I don't care about it. Its none of my business what you do in your free time." He responded snarkily. Ari turned around back to the stove to collect her breakfast, and sat down at the table as well. "A-aah.. Did you… Sleep well?" She asked, while gently pushing around some eggs on her plate. He was silent for a moment.

He took a small bite of eggs, and chewed for a moment. The eggs weren't bad. Little weird, considering he's never had eggs before until now. He swallows, and gives her an answer. "I slept… Okay. But… I should be asking you Ari. You were the one with nightmares." He said, while glaring at her. Ari still nit picked around on her plate, not really taking any sort of bite.

It seemed as if she didn't hear his question, as she didn't respond. It took her a moment to come up with an answer. "... Don't worry about me Equius. I'm fine." She said, her eyes looking down at her plate. He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Why must you be so foolish? There is clearly something wrong with you, and you are not telling me. I will not ask again, TELL me what's wrong." He said sternly.

Ari put down her fork, and looked up at him. "...I just have nightmares. I'm sure you guys do as well, I'm just saying its nothing more than that." She said, while looking away. Equius' eyes lowered, down at her plate. She only stirred around her food, didn't even take a nibble of the food either. "...Ari, aren't you going to eat?" He asked her. She swallowed hard, and took a few bites of food.

He noticed the way she ate some of the food was in a… Rushed sort of manner. Most of the food she didn't chew, she swallowed. After the 4th bite, she was "done". There was more food left on the plate, then there was in her stomach. But before he could say anything else, Ari threw away her plate, and ran to a nearby bathroom. He raised his eyebrow, and got up.

But as soon as he could make it to the bathroom, Ari came out, drying her hands. "O-okay Mr. Equius. Why don't we get you to my lab? Let you look around, and possibly help me with something." Ari said in one quick breath. He raised his eyebrow, and quickly scanned her face, as if he was looking for something. She stared back up at him, a small bit of sweat going down her face.

He soon dismissed it as her just being… Odd. "Fine. Lead the way… Ari." He responded, while crossing his arms. Ari let out a quick sigh of relief, before leading him to her lab. She opened a door in her kitchen, and led him downstairs. It was dimly lit, but they were still able to see the area around them. She quickly turned on the lights, lighting the room with bright LED's.

Equius marveled at Ari's laboratory, it was quite BIG for how little her 'tree' house seemed. There were beakers, screens, lots of tools galore! It was very impressive. "A-aah… I-its not much…" She said softly, while rubbing her arm. He looked at her, almost baffled at her comment. "Not much? If you ask me… I think you have TOO much. But I suppose it comes into good use." Equius replied, while looking at some of her more bigger finished works.

Ari stood in the back, watching him look around. He made his way over to one machine, curious about its properties. "Tell me Ari, what does this one do?" He asked her curiously. She slowly took a few steps over, and looked at her work. "A-aah.. Well this is my Eye changer. It changes people's eye color, or style of eye." She answered, while rubbing her machine. He raised an eyebrow to her. "Give me a demonstration." He said.

She nodded her head, taking off her glasses. "Fine." She said, while looking up at him. "Look at my eyes before I go inside." She said, while staring at him. He stared into her blue colored eyes, before letting her go into the machine. "Alright. I've gotten a good look." He said, while watching her. She nodded her head, and made her way into the machine. A small screen dropped down with a menu.

She pushed an option, and she gripped the bar in front of her. Soon, a very loud _BRRZT _noise shot out, along with a squeaky sounding chirp. Equius flinched for a second, being caught off guard by two loud noises. Ari stumbled out of the machine, wobbling to and fro. Equius grabbed ahold of Ari, keeping her from hitting her face on something painful. She looked up at Equius, her eyes seeming the same as they were before.

Equius frowned, while keeping her still. "I don't think it worked Ari- H-huh?" He said, while glaring at her changing eye color. They went from ocean blue to golden yellow, with slitted pupils. It was remarkable to him. "Huh… I guess it did work after all Ari." He said. She nodded her head softly. "Well of course it did. It SHOULD. People charge me at least 20 bucks to change their eye color, or style." She said, while standing on her own.

He made sure she was able to walk on her own. "Are there any side-effects to this?" He asked. She gave a small nod. "Y-yeah.. Watery eyes, dizziness, blurred vision, eye twitches. Stuff like that.. Nothing terrible of course." She answered, while wiping her irritated eyes. She sat down in a nearby stool. "A-aah.. Gods that hurt…" She whined. Soon, there was a knock from the upstairs door. "A-aah… I'll get it." She said, softly.

Equius tried to stop her, but she just shoo'ed him away while walking up the stairs. As she made her way upstairs to open the door, she grabbed the door handle, and opened it. "Y-yes?" She answered with a small whine, while rubbing her eyes still. She didn't get a vocal answer, but was pounced on by an unknown person. "A-aaah! Lexii! Didn't Rexii and I tell you to stop pouncing people?!" Ari squeaked.

The person looked confused for a moment. "Who's Lexii?" The female asked. The voice sounded like her younger cousin, but it was… Different. "Very funny Lex, but I can still tell its you!" Ari said, while trying to sit up forward. Equius was heard running up the stairs, to check on Ari, and defend her from any sort of threat. He sighed with relief when he saw that it was none other than his moirail, Nepeta.

She looked up and saw Equius, and pounced on him. "Equiussss!" She squealed. Ari continued to rub her eyes, slowly gaining her sight back. "A-aah.. I'm guessing she's one of your friends?" She asked, while standing back up. Equius nodded his head. "Of course… She's my moirail." He answered, while a very cuddly Nepeta hugged him. "A-aah.. Whats a moirail pray tell?" She asked curiously.

Nepeta looked shocked for a moment. "Mew don't know what a "Mewrail" is?!" She said, while looking confuzzled. Equius frowned. "Ari… I thought you were listening… I basically told you about Moirails last night…" He said, while looking a bit grumpy. Ari held up her fuzzy hands. "Hold on hold on! In my defence I was quite tired, and fell asleep. Dontcha remember?" She said, while crossing her arms.

Equius' frown disappeared. She had a point; she seemed sleepy, and DID fall asleep on him. "...You are correct… You did fall asleep. Alright… I'll explain what a Moirail is for right now if that is alright with you." He said, while Nepeta climbed down off of him. "Sounds good to me. Can we sit in the living room first so that we are not standing?" Ari asked, while pointing to her living room.

Both Equius and Nepeta nodded their heads, and they all made their way to the living room. "There. Okay Equius, you have my full attention." Ari said, while sitting up proper. Both the two moirails sat down, getting comfy on the rather soft furniture. "Alright… A moirail is a form of guardianship, but it does not mean being platonic forever. A person in the moirail quadrant protects the others' heart, and keeps them from getting into any sort of trouble." Equius said, while looking at his moirail with a smile.

Ari sat there, pondering. "I think I understand it. You care for her in… a Friendly manner, and keep her from getting hurt essentially?" She asked. The both of them nodded their heads. "More or less." Nepeta answered with a smile on her face. The more Ari's vision cleared up, the better she could see her new guest. "A-aah… Forgive me, but I don't think I got your name, Miss." She said.

Nepeta grinned. "I'm Nepeta! Nepeta LeiJon!" She answered cutely. "Who are mew?" She asked curiously, while getting close to Ari. "And what are mew?" She also asked, while glaring into Ari's eyes. "A-aah.. I'm Ari. Ari Zen Zell. And I'm a Red ground squirrel. I-its nice to meet you Nepeta." She said softly. Once her vision cleared, she got a good look at Nepeta. "... You know… I think my cousin would love you." Ari said.

Nepeta cocked her head. "Co-sin? Whats that?" She asked curiously. Equius and Ari looked at each other and quickly defused the question. "A-aah Nepeta… Its a long and confusing story… Let's just say it is someone who is related to you." Equius answered. Nepeta pouted, but then shrugged her shoulders. "And besides Ari, I don't think they'd get along…" He also added, while glancing at Nepeta.

Ari picks up her phone. "...Try me." She said with a sassy tone in her voice. Equius looked sternly at her, and warned her not to. "Lowbloo- A-aah Ari… Don't you dare." He said, with a stern tone. Ari stuck her tongue out at him, while dialing a number. "Bite me, Shades!" She hissed, while waiting for the phone to pick up. Nepeta let out a sputtering snicker, while Equius had his jaw open.

He was taken back by her smart wit towards him. "Hey Rex, can you bring Lexii over? I have someone I want to show her." She said, while looking at her claws. "You can? GREAAAT. She's gonna love her." Ari said, while looking at Nepeta. Nepeta looks at Ari, feeling nervous. "Alright, see you two soon. Bye bye." She says while hanging up.

She turns her attention to Nepeta. "Now Nepeta… When my… Relatives come over… She's going to be OVERLY excited, BUT! She is VERY harmless, and will ask to draw you." Ari said, while putting her phone in her pocket. "Oh? Draw me?" Nepeta asked, looking intrigued. Ari nods her head. "Oh yeah! She's an artist, and a writer." She answers.

Soon, there was a knock at the door. "Ah, that must be them now." Ari said, while getting up. "W-what? How are they here so early?" Equius asked, a bit astonished. "Everytime I tell her theres someone I want her to meet, she throws on whatever she needs and rushes here." Ari answers, while opening the door. "Hey guys-AUGH!" She squeaks, while being jumped on by a VERY excited girl.  
Nepeta backs up, and hides behind Equius to take cover. "A-Aaagh… H-hi Lexii…" Ari groans out. "HIIIIII ARI! Wheres the person?! I wannnnna meet em!" Lexii yipped happily. Rexii pulls Lexii off of poor Ari, setting her back down. "Lexii, I've told you TIME and TIME again! Do NOT JUMP ON PEOPLE!" Rexii said sternly. Before he could say anything, Lexii was already over at Equius. "Oooo he seems strong!" Lexii said, with a giggle.

Equius just stared at the young lady, unsure of what to say towards her. While Rexii helped Ari to her feet, Lexii climbed all over Equius like a little squirrel. "Oooo strong he is!" She said, while hanging onto his arm as he stuck it out. Nepeta poked her head out, and she let out a small hiss towards Lexii. Lexii was spooked, and lost her footing. "AIPE!" She yelped, while falling to the ground.

Ari and Rexii were quick to jump over to the others. "Sis! You okay?" Rex asked, while helping her up. "No! That girl hissed at me!" Lex answered, and pouting. Nepeta was letting out a small murmuring noise as she clutched Equius. "A-aah… Sometimes Nepeta can get a bit protective." Equius said, while looking down at Nepeta. Ari stepped in the middle of them. "Alright alright… Let's try this again…" She said, while standing between them.

Ari looked over at Nepeta, and gestured for her to come over. Nepeta slowly got up, and came over to where Ari and the others were. "Nepeta, meet my cousins Lexii and Rexii." She said, while showing her to them. Nepeta gave a small wave. "U-uh.. Hi…" She said, while looking pensively at Lexii. "Hello there." Rexii said, with a small frown on his face. Lexii gave a wave back at Nepeta. "...Hi." She said softly.

Both of the girls stared at one another. "Nepeta, why don't you tell her what you're into?" Ari asked. Nepeta paused for a moment before answering. "Well… I like to draw on my tablet…" She started out, before Lexii chimed in. "Wait hold the phone! You have a DRAWING tablet?!" She asked, while looking surprised. Nepeta looked confused for a second. "Mew don't have one?" She asked. Lexii shook her head no, with a pout. Ari looked thoughtful for a moment.

She patted Lexii's back softly. "Hey, I can change that. You just gotta ask." She said softly, with a grin. Lexii's ears perked up, and she begged Ari for a new tablet. "PLEASE?" She asked, with big puppy eyes. Ari giggled, as did Equius. "Heh, I can see why you wanted her to meet Nepeta." He said softly. "Ah, thats just the start. Wait till she starts talking about her fanfictions and ships and things." Ari said, while scrolling around on her phone.

Nepeta had gotten more interested in this Lexii girl. "Ships? You… Ship people too?" She asked. Lexii nods her head swiftly. "Yes I do! Proud of it! Even though the people I tend to ship don't work out sometimes." She answered. Equius, Rexii, and Ari all looked at each other. "Ari is this the best idea? How much of a shipper is uh.. Ms. Nepeta?" Rexii asked. Equius gave a small shrug. "Pretty avid. At least I believe so." He answered.

Both of the girls began to babble on about ships and decent conversation, while the other three left them to talk. "Whew! Goodness! I swear Lexii will talk to a fence post." Ari said, while sitting down at her desk. "I hope she doesn't talk her poor ear off." Rex said, while glancing back at the area where the ladies were. "She won't. Trust me. Nepeta will talk as much. Its a win win." Equius said.

Rex got a good look at the man called Equius. He was taller than him, sunglasses, sweaty looking, and pretty buff looking. "Man, do you work out?" He asked curiously. Equius looked at him, and gave a small nod. "Uh.. I do." He answered slowly. Ari couldn't help but nibble her lower lip in thought, but quickly stopped herself. "You gotta teach me man. I feel so scrawny." He said, while messing with one of his skinny arms.

Ari gave a small sigh. "Rex, you know with how your genetics are, you can't handle too much muscle." She said softly. He gave her a pout. "Hey, I can dream you know." He said softly. Before more could be said, Lexii and Nepeta ran into the room. "Guyyyys!" Lexii squealed. "Oh boy here we go." Ari said, while turning to look at them. "We're friends now!" Lexii said happily, with Nepeta giggling.

"How nice!" Ari said with a warm smile on her face. Rex and Equius smiled at the new best friends. "Annnnd, we can tell who's gonna be with whoooo!" Nepeta said with a cheer. The three of them rolled their eyes, but decided to humor them. "Alright then! Tell us!" Rex said with a smirk. Lexii grabbed out a sheet, with Ari and Equius faces on them. "Ari and.. Whats your name again?" She asked sweetly.

"Equius." He answered her. "Ah thank you! Ari and Equius, you two are… Loooovers!" Lexii said with a giggle, pointing to the hearts nearby, in the drawing of the two kissing. Ari's cheeks grew dark, and looked away. "Lex… I'm not sure if uh.." She started out. "No no no! I can SENSE these things! You reaaaaally dig him!" She said with a smile. Nepeta quickly nodded her head. "That is preposterous. I don't like her in… THAT manner. She just seems okay to be around." Equius said.

_Well now! These two ladies got along beautifully! A little TOO well I should say. 10 minutes and they're already shipping people together. Oh boy. This can't backfire now. Or can it? I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you all in the next chapter! :3 If you like this, please fave, review and so forth! 3 Bye bye for now! :33_

_~ToniJerboa_


	4. Chapter 4: New friends, Old experiences

_Hello everyone! I hope you all are doin' well during these times! I bring you another chapter of Hoofin' it with Ari! I however __MUST__ warn you of the content in this chapter. Please see the warning below!_

_**!Warning: This chapter contains triggering themes such as; Anorexia, PTSD, and Implied sexual abuse. Please read with caution! (This is NOT a joke.)!**_

Chapter 4: New friends, Old experiences.

Nepeta shook her head no. "Nope! I can sense feel it myself Equihiss! Mew liiiike her!" Nepeta said with a smirk. The whole room felt awkward, and started to get a bit uncomfortable. "Uh… Sis… You do know-" Rexii started before Lexii interrupted him. "And you are with… Nepeta!" She said, while pointing to a picture she drew of them kissing. Nepeta looked confused for a moment.

The room was dead silent, and embarrassment hung heavy in the air. "Uh.. Lexii… I've said that I'm flushed for Karkitty…" Nepeta said, while pouting. Lexii shook her head in disagreement. "Nope. That ship is gone down girl. Ya gotta move on!" Lexii said while crossing her arms. Nepeta made a low rumble in the back of her throat. "...The ship hasn't hit water yet, but it will!" Nepeta growled, while clutching her fists.

Ari stood up briskly. "Lexii, thats enough." She said, while stepping forward to them. "I'm sorry, but I must disagree girl. It will NOT happen. I can sense it, and I've never been wrong before." Lexii said with a frown on her face. This set Nepeta off, causing her to get in Lexii's face. "Mew shut your mouth! Mew shut your furreaking mouth!" She hissed.

The sharp hiss caused Lexii to jump in fright, and backs up towards Ari. Equius stood up, and started to pull Nepeta back. "Nepeta… I must say this is not acceptable behavior…" He said, while trying to mediate the situation at hand. Lexii's ears lowered, and she let out a small growl at Nepeta. Rexii immediately grabs Lexii, holding her back. "Nope. Not again sis. I'm not in the mood for gettin' sued." Rex huffed.

Nepeta shakes Equius off, and shoves Lexii. Lexii let's out a loud bark as she's shoved, and shoves her back. Before they could get into a major fight, Rexii and Equius stepped in between them. "Okay okay. Listen you two, stop fighting this instant! Let's agree to disagree!" Ari said, commanding their silence. The girls both look at Ari, and look at each other.

They were silent for a moment, and then Lexii gave a small bow to Nepeta, lowering her ears, and tucking her tail between her legs. Nepeta looked confused as to what Lexii was doing. "...She's uh… Showing submission. Meaning, she's sorry." Rex said. Nepeta rubbed the back of her head, and gave a small smile. "I-i'm sorry too Lexii… Its just that… Mew know… I… take my ships quite seriously... Especially me and Karkitty…" Nepeta said softly.

Lexii nodded her head softly. "I… I take mine seriously as well… But sometimes I should leave certain ones alone. Nepeta, if you think you and Karkat will be together, then I hope you two will be together." Lexii said, with a small smile. Nepeta's smile grew bigger, and she hugged Lexii tightly. "Now that you two are friends, who wants ice cream? I'll buy it." Ari said, while holding up her beaker-shaped wallet.

Lexii looked excited at the sound of ice cream. "Ooooo I want some I want some!" Lexii squeaked gleefully. Nepeta looked confused. "Whats mice cream?" She asked curiously. Lexii's eyes widened in shock, as Nepeta asked the question. "You don't know what ice cream is?!" She asked in shock. Nepeta shyly shook her head no in response. Lexii grabbed her arm, and started leading her outside.

Rexii quickly made his way outside with Ari and Equius. "Slow down Lex! PLEASE wait for us!" He said with a huff. Lexii stopped, letting them catch up with her. As soon as they caught up, Ari led the way to the ice cream shop. "I'll lead. I don't want you two to get lost. Cause Lexii, my dear cousin I love you, but YOU GET SO EASILY DISTRACTED!" Ari chirped frustratedly.

Lexii looked embarrassed. "Hehe… I… Don't mean to?" She said, while trying her best to look cute. Ari just had a pout on her lips. "Your cute. But not cute enough." She said sternly while squinting her eyes sat her. Lexii frowned softly, but smiled when Ari gave her a hug. "But I do love you. That I know for sure." She said sweetly. "Now come on. Let's grab ice cream. If we hurry, we might be the first few in line." She said with a toothy grin.

Lexii perked up, and followed behind her elder cousin with everyone in tow.

After a few blocks, they had gotten to the ice cream shop, and Ari took them inside. "Alrighty, here we are! The ice cream shop!" She said, while taking them to the counter. A friendly looking elf lady was at the counter, and waved. "Hi there! Welcome to Iris' Iced Creams, how may I help ya?" She greeted in a really friendly tone. "Uh yes, I have a few friends here, we'd love to get some ice cream." Ari said, while pulling out her novelty wallet.

Lexii took her friend Nepeta to the menu to show her the various flavors of ice creams. "You just look at these here and pick out a flavor!" Lexii said, while wagging her tail. Nepeta looked up at the VERY large menu full of selections, feeling overwhelmed immediately. "A-aah.. Lexii… Why don't… Mew pick out something mew'd think I'd like!" She asked, with a nervous smile.

Lexii just giggled, and seemed to already know what she wanted. Soon, Rexii, Ari, and Equius came over to take a look at the menu. "Hm.. Its been a hot moment since I had my favorite; _NutzN'Berries_… I'll probably get that. What about you Rexii?" She said, while looking at him. "Hm… I'm gonna go with… _DogLoversDelight_." He answered her. She looked up at Equius, who was staring at the menu.

"Mr. Zahhak, what would you like?" She asked him. Equius had a small tint of blue on his cheeks. There was something about the way she called him Mr. Zahhak that made him sweat. "U-uh… W-well Ari I don't know. I guess pick me something." He answered. Ari nodded her head and looked around for something he would possibly like. She noticed something with a cow on it, and pointed at it.

Soon all four of them went up to the counter to place their orders. "Alright, we're ready. We'll each take a turn." She proclaimed. Lexii stepped up first, very excited to order a treat for her new friend. "I'll have… _PBMilkBone_ for me, and… _KittenLoversDelight_ for my friend!" She said happily. Rex was next. "Uh _DogLoversDelight_ for me please." He said softly. Ari soon stepped up, and placed her order as well. "_NutzN'Berries_, with _CowPileSuprise_." She said swiftly.

The clerk nodded, and passed the order on to the workers in the back. "It'll just be a few moments!" She said in her chipper tone. Ari looked down Lexii who was just rocking back and forth. "Hey, why don't you and Nepeta here find us a table to sit at?" She asked. Lexii and Nepeta nodded their heads, and ran off in search of a table. The other three stood there, watching their icey treats being made in the backroom.

As soon as they were done, they brought them out. Everyone's looked so different, yet tasty. They brought the treats over to where the two friends were sitting. "Alright girls. We have the treats here! Nepeta, heres yours. Lexii, heres yours!" She said sweetly. The girls grabbed them, and studied them. Nepeta's had a chocolate swirl, half dipped in chocolate with chocolate cat attributes. Her eyes lit up and sparkled in utter joy.

Lexii's looked like a little milk bone with a peanut butter whipped topping. The three sat down with them, gathering their frozen desserts. Rex's looked like a little corgi but with a small patch of dirty. Ari's looked like a bush with nuts and berries in it, while Equius had a small cow head shaped cookie with some chocolate droppings. Equius stared at it for a moment, and then looked over at Ari who started licking her ice cream.

Lexii looked up at Equius, and smirked. "Go on! Eat it! Its really yummy! Eat the cookie part first, I made the mistake of trying to lick it." She said with a small chuckle. Equius raised his brow, and took off the cookie. He studied it for a moment before taking a small bite out of it. It tasted rather semi sweet, was kind of bready, and the icing was a creamy texture. He didn't mind it at all.

Nepeta took a small bite of her treat and feel head over heels. She started to dig into the ice cream as fast as she could. Ari saw this and stopped her. "A-aah! Nepeta no! Careful! You'll get a brain freeze!" She said, swiftly. Nepeta looked up at Ari, tongue sticking out. "Whats brain fureeze?" She asks curiously. "I can answer that." Rexii said. "Brain freeze is when you eat something cold too fast or too much sometimes. It won't harm you, but it'll give you a bad headache." He answered.

Nepeta nods her head, and slowly takes her time with her treat. Everyone paced themselves and ate their ice cream. By the time they were done, Nepeta had chocolate over her little lips and cheeks. Rex noticed, and gave her a napkin. "Here you go, lil lady. You got choc mouth." He said with a cute chuckle. Nepeta's cheeks flushed, taking the napkin and wiping her face down.

They paid their tab, and left the shop, walking around the plaza of Ashton. Nepeta and Equius looked quite impressed by the area. There were so many people walking around, and many stores. "This is the Ashton Plaza. You have your cafe's, your clothing stores, food, sweets, all sorts of stuff." Ari said, while walking them around the area. Ari soon stopped for a moment, and she looked towards Rex.

The both of them ran off together somewhere. "We'll be back! Stay there!" Ari said, while running with Rex. Equius and the others just followed after them quickly. They saw them go into a bathroom together, and Lexii looked utterly disgusted. Equius pressed forward, wanting to know why they were acting out of sorts. "Equihiss, what are we doing?" Nepeta asked, feeling uncomfortable.

He looked down at his Moirail, while keeping his eyes peeled. "Shhh. I am simply curious as to why these two are acting funny…" He answered, while creeping towards the stall they were in. He could make out what they were saying. "Ugh… Can't believe we have to hide this from them… I don't like lying… But I don't like THIS either." Rexii whispers "I know I know. B-but let's just get it done, before they try and find us." Ari responded.

They all peered into the stall, and what the saw shocked them… Ari was on her knees, Rexii was holding her poofy hair and glasses as she forced herself to vomit into the toilet. After she was done, she rinsed her mouth out with water, and changed spots with Rexii. Equius couldn't understand why they were doing this, but he looked back at a softly sobbing Lexii. She had left to the outside, and was sobbing into her hands.

Equius and Nepeta went out to check on her. "Lexii? Whats wrong?" She asked, while patting her back. "...I-i can't believe it… I thought… I thought they were better… But its only a LIE!" She wailed. Equius and Nepeta looked at each other, and then back at Lexii. "What do you mean?" Equius asked. "...They're… Anorexic…" She answered softly. Confusion filled their faces, trying to make sense of the new word.

She drags them to City Hall, where Samantha works. Luckily, they caught her before she left. "Aunt Sammy! Aunt Sammy!" Lexii called out. Samantha quickly hung up her phone, and strutted her way over to the three of them. "Hello baby. What can I do for you?" She asked, while petting Lexii's head. "...Aunt Sammy we got a code black…" Lexii said, while holding her head down.

Samantha's once smiling face turned a deep frown. She gestures for them to follow her. They followed her to her car, hopping inside. "...Where are they?" She asked them. "Uh.. That weird skevy lookin' bathroom stall place." Lexii answered. Equius and Nepeta were just there along for the ride, unsure of this whole thing. "Of course. That place is a hiding haven for people with their states." Samantha said.

She quickly drove over to the area were they last were seen, and saw the both of them walking out. She pulled up closely to them, and opened the door. "...Get in. NOW." She growled at the both of them. They held their tails between their legs as they hopped in. "...AGAIN?" She said, while looking at the both of them. They knew what she meant, and they nodded their heads.

Ari looked towards Equius for a split second, before returning her gaze at her claws. "... Listen, I love you guys, but this is getting worse. Its only been, what a month? And you already have reversed to your original mindstate. I.. I just don't know what to do with you. We've tried everything, medicine, therapy… I just… I'm running out of ideas…" Samantha said, while rubbing her temples.

Nepeta finally spoke up, curious about what was happening. "What is Anpurrexia? I'm sorry if its not the time… But I am curious." Nepeta asked inquisitively. "Anorexia is an eating disorder that warps your mind into thinking that you are overweight. It can take a toll on your mental state, AND your body." Samantha answered. "Why were they purging their contents of their stomach?" Equius asked.

"... Its one of the ways that they keep themselves 'thin'. They can live off of water and small bits of food. But if they eat anything heavy, they'll throw it up." Samantha answered, while taking a small shot of whiskey. "...Aunt Sammy?" Lexii said, while tapping her arm softly. "Yes baby?" She answered, while looking at the young lady. "...Maybe my new bestie Neppy here, and I can keep our eyes on Rexii!" She said.

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "A-and buff guy here can keep an eye on Ari!" She said, while pointing at Equius. Samantha pondered for a moment before reaching an agreement. "Alright. Sounds like a good idea." She said, while patting her head. "I-i don't need to be watched! I am perfectly able to take care of my-" Ari started before Equius butted in. "I-i'm not sure if I can-" He started.

Samantha interrupted him swiftly. "Equius, you keep your eye on her. Make sure she eats daily. I even have documents on what she NEEDS to eat, and eating charts. That goes for you as well Young lady." She said, while looking at Nepeta. Nepeta nodded her head softly. "Of course!" She replied. With that, Samantha pulled out some important documents on both Rexii and Ari.

She handed Ari's case to Equius, and Rexii's case to both Lexii and Nepeta. "There. That should have EVERYTHING you should know, and how to do certain things. I am going to only stress this ONCE." She said, while looking at the rest of them. "You MUST take care of them, and make sure that they eat, and take care of themselves. If they go any further down their paths, they WILL die." She said sternly.

Lexii and Nepeta looked scared, but determined. "Don't worry Ma'am! We'll take good care of them!" Nepeta said, looking brave. Both Ari and Rexii sat there, looking quite… Ill. Rings under the eyes, noses seemed dry, looking quite tiresome. "Now, let's get you guys home." She said, while starting the car up again. She drove them to their respective houses, and left them to it.

As Ari and Equius walked into Ari's home, Ari immediately tried to run to her room. Equius quickly caught her, before she could even reach the door. "No you don't. Your staying where I can keep my eyes on you, Lowblood." He said sternly, while leading her to the living room for her to sit. She sits down on her couch, crossing her arms, while pouting. "Equius I am FINE." She said.

Equius got up close to her, inspecting her. She looked utterly haggard, and tired. "...No you are NOT. You are NOT fine." He said, while frowning. Ari just huffed, while looking pissy. Equius saw the remote, and he remembered someone using this device. So, he handed it to Ari. She snatched it, and flicked on the TV. On the TV there were lots of commercials playing for weight LOSS, and that just pissed her off more.

Equius quickly turned off the TV, and sat next to her. She picked up one of her mangas, and started to read it. Equius just sat there, arms crossed, and very stoically. Ari would occasionally glance at him, and back to her book. At some point, Equius took out the documents, and read over them. He got up, and went into the kitchen, and returned with a cup of water in a metal cup.

Luckily he chose metal, and not glass. Otherwise he would've been bleeding out by now. He hands Ari the cup, telling her she needs fluids. "Here. It says you need to drink plenty of water, and find a slow way to take in calories." He said, while reading through another page. She takes the cup, rolling her ocean blue eyes. She takes a sip of the water slowly, while still reading her manga.

Equius went back into the kitchen, looking through her cabinets, seeing what he could make her to help get her started. He saw on the list that soup and crackers are light and easy to start with. He pokes his head out at her. "Ari, how do you cook soup?" He asked. Ari just ignored him. He cleared his throat, and asked again. But only once again, no answer came from Ari's lips.

He stepped out, and stood in front of her. "Ari. I am requesting information on how to prepare the soup and crackers." He stated to her. "I know you are, but I'm not gonna tell you. So beat it." She said grouchily. He grumbled at her, and yanked her manga from her hands. "Until you tell me how to cook the soup and crackers, you will NOT be reading this." He said, authoritatively.

This did NOT settle well with Ari, for she stood up, and tried to reach for it. Of course, he just held it away from the struggling woman. Ari just growled, and clutched her hands. She took her balled fist, and tried to throw a punch at him, only for Equius to catch her hand. He glared down at her, getting into her face. "Ari, you do NOT want to do this. Pick your battles correctly. Be good, and tell me how to-" His voice faded out.

His voice began to change into her brothers voice, causing severe flashbacks. "Be a good lil' girl sis, and lemme just-" Ari began to whimper and cry out. "N-no… S-stop…" She whimpered, while trying to break free from his grip. Equius looked confused for a moment, and let her go. "A-ari… What are you doing?" He asked, while setting down the papers. She backed up into her couch, falling back onto it.


	5. Chapter 5: Taking care of new friends

_Hello all! Hope you all are keeping safe during these times! I bring you a new chapter of Hoofin' it with Ari! This chapter will NOT sugar coat things. Its much darker than the last, please read the warning below._

_**WARNING: This chapter contains child abuse, hints of sexual abuse, homicidal mentions towards character, character suicide, and more triggering topics. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.**_

Chapter 5: Taking care of new friends.

Equius hovered over her, confused as to what she was possibly playing at. "Ari, if this is a joke, I am NOT laughing." He said sternly. Ari held up her hands, while crossing her legs. "N-no! P-please d-don't!" She whimpered. Equius was noticing something was off, she was cowering, and crying for him to stop. He wonders if he was scaring her, and if so he needs to ease her back.

He backs up, holding up his hands. "A-ari.. Its me. Equius. Snap out of it. P-please." He said softly. She was still whimpering with tears down her cheeks. Equius grabbed her manga she had, and carefully handed it to her. She looked at it, and looked back at him. The visions began to fade, and she saw Equius. She relaxed herself, and clutched her book to her chest, while shivering.

It was quiet between them for a minute until he spoke up. "A-ari… Are you okay? You were acting strangely." He asked. Ari nodded her head, got up, and went into the kitchen. He followed behind her, wondering what she was up to. She pulled out a can of chicken noodle soup, and a pack of crackers. "This is how you make soup and crackers." She said blankly, while turning on the stove.

Meanwhile with Lexii, Nepeta, and Rexii, they were trying to keep him away from closed areas. "Okay Lex, did mew make sure the bathrooms door is off its hinges?" Nepeta asked, while giving Rex a cup of water. "Yeppers! No more doors for him, until he gets better!" She said, while gently patting her older brothers head. Rexii just sat on the seat, eyes half lidded, zoning out at the wall.

Nepeta stared at Rexii dead in his face of course, trying to make sure there was nothing out of place. His glazed eyes met hers, and just dropped back down. "Lexii, he doesn't look good." Nepeta said with a frown. "Oh thats how he always looks. He just needs his medication, and he'll be right as rain." She said, while pulling out a brownie. "Here bro, take your meds." She says, while giving it to him.

He looked at it, sniffled at it for a moment, and nibbled it. He finishes the brownie, and just lays back. "...Are you sure it'll help him?" Nepeta asked her friend. Lexii nodded her head. "Yes! It needs a bit of time to settle in. We just gotta keep an eye on him!" She said, while sitting next to him. Nepeta sat on the other side of Rexii, keeping her eyes on the tall man. Lex had turned on the TV, putting on a show.

She had put it onto a documentary that was about the wild wolves. They were at the hunting habits of wolves when she turned to it. "Hey bro look! Those two are going hunting! Hehe, just like we used to bro! R-remember?" She asked, while gently shaking his arm. He only glanced down at his younger sister, but then back at the TV. Lex's smile washed away like footprints in the sand.

Nepeta tried to clear the air for a moment. "Mew used to hunt? What did mew hunt?" She asked curiously. Lexii's ears perked up at her friend's question. "O-oh! U-uh… I know we hunted a few rabbits! And at some point Rexii hunted a BIIIIG elk!" She answered, while stretching her hands out. Nepeta looked surprised. "Not bad, not bad! I will say, I have beaten mew! I've hunted a bear!" She said with her tongue out.

Lexii poked her friend, engaging in a pokewar with one another, while Rexii just sat there with a blank stare on his face. Rexii soon started to come out of his vegetable state, and watched the girls playfight. "Take that Neppy!" Lexii giggled. Nepeta smirked evilly, and trampled over Rexii's lap to get her friend back. Rexii let out a loud pained yelp. "AIPE!" He groaned, while standing up and covering his crotch.

Both the girls looked up at Rexii. "Uh oh.." Lexii said, while cowering down. Nepeta looked a bit nervous, but she knew exactly what to do. She's had to do this before with Equius, and she wonders if it'll work now. "Now what in the hell-Hm? What Nepeta?" He asked, grouchily. She looked up at the tall man, and gave him puppy dog eyes. "I-i'm sorry I stepped on mew Rexii…" She said softly.

Rexii was used to puppy dog eyes, but this was DIFFERENT. "D-do mew furgive me?" She asked, while staring at him. Rexii's cheeks flushed a bright yellow, and his eyes softened. "A-aah… I-its alright. No biggie. Just be careful next time okay?" He said, while patting her head. She giggled, and hugged him tightly. Rexii returned the hug, and let her go. His face was completely flushed in a dark yellow color.

Lexii couldn't help but giggle at her older brothers darkened cheeks. "Hehe, bro why ya blushing?" She asked him. He quickly hid his face in his hoodie. "I'm not blushing sis." He huffed. Lexii gently elbowed Nepeta on her elbow. "Hehe, you see that?" Lexii whispered. Nepeta rolled her eyes at her. "Oh stop that! Mew know I am not interested in him." She said, while crossing her arms.

Soon Lexii's stomach was growling, as was Nepeta's. "Looks like we're hungry!" Lexii said with a giggle. "Come on, let's cook up lunch! And we should get Rexii on food as well." Lexii said, while standing up. Rexii looked at both of the girls and shook his head. "A-aah I'm not too hungry. You guys can just make food for yo-" He started while being interrupted by Nepeta wrapping her tail around his mouth.

He looked at Nepeta, silenced by her. "Nope! Sorry Rexii, mew must eat!" She said with a small smile. He just gave a small sigh, and a pout mounted on his lips. The girls drug him into the kitchen, and sat him down on a stool. "Alright, let's see what to make! We wanna start him out slow, and not shock his body!" Lexii said, while picking up his file, and reading over it.

Back with Ari and Equius, Ari sat down at her table with a bowl of soup with crackers on the side. Equius sat down in front of her, watching her take small sips of the soup with her spoon. She would occasionally take a cracker, dip it in the soup, and consume it. Things were quiet between them for most of the time, until she was finished with her first 'meal', "...I'm guessing you wanna know what that was huh?" She asked softly, while sipping her water.

Equius' shaded eyes met hers, and he nodded his head. "Yes Ari, I want to know what happened." He answered. She sat there for a moment, and then got up from her chair. Equius followed her to a closet, and she opened it up. "Hold on." She said softly, while starting to dig around in the closet for something. She did look like a little nutbeast while digging through stuff.

It was buried DEEP in her closet, he could tell by how deeper she got into the closet. After another moment she came out with a LARGE black book; it was the size of her torso in comparison to her. "Let's sit in the living room, as this will take some time. Unless you want me to skim through…" She said, while glaring at the book. Equius paused for a moment, thinking about which option he should go with.

He was quite curious about Ari, and her race of so-called "Furries". So, he went for the longer option. "I want to know all about you Ari. I am staying with you after all." He said. Ari nodded her head, and the both of them walked into the living room. They both sat down in front of the wooden coffee table that she had, and she took a deep breath. "Are you ready? Once I start, there is no stopping Equius." She asked, while staring at him.

Her eyes seemed so devoid of life, and color when the book came out. He nodded his head yes, ready to learn more about her. "O-okay…" She said softly, while slowly opening the book with shaking hands. She turned to the first page, and the first page was of a baby version of Ari next to a man, who was cradling her in his arms. "Thats me as a baby, and that man is supposed to be my dad. I think." She said.

Ari looked so much different as a baby, so small, so bright and cute looking. Next to the picture, was some writing that Ari read out loud. "My greatest achievement, my pride, my joy, my soul. Arianna Maxiene Zen Zell." She said, softly. Equius looked confused for a moment. "Why is your name so long?" He asked. She looked up at him and gave him an answer.

"Well, 'Arianna' is my ENTIRE first name, 'Maxine' is my middle name, and Zen Zell are both my last names." She answered. Equius seemed pleased with her answer, and she continued. She of course flipped through a few pages, explaining the people there. "This is my mother, Elidie Coltright. Back in her younger years she was a cabaret singer back at a club called, 'Koko's Cabana Annas.' She was the BEST girl out of all of them." She said, while pointing to some images.

Equius followed along with what she was saying, and where she was pointing. "This guy here… He's my b-brother…" She said, with a small stammer, her hands shaking as she glanced over the picture of the younger version of him and her together on a slide. Ari reads out the writing next to the picture. "Happy son, happy daughter, fun times ahead!" She said, while almost choking on the words.

Equius could see the pain in Ari's eyes as they went on, everything she read just stabbed her more in the chest. The first half was pretty good, until the middle part when there were just writings from Ari's mother. She read some of them out loud, and even Equius was taken aback by the words of Ari's mother. "I don't want her anymore. I should just… Throw her away." Ari read out, with tears welling in her eyes.

The more she read on, the more dark it got, murderous intent in the mothers once happy writing. "I should just smo-smother her in… Her sleep…" Ari choked out softly. Equius frowned, and gently closed the book. "...Ari… I'm so sorry she said that to you. I want you to understand, when we were on Alternia, we had lusus as you know… And I can tell you this for certain… Ours could be cruel as well…" He said softly.

Ari just buried her face into her hands, softly sobbing. "A-and thats not the worst part… My brother did things to me… Unspeakable things… Things I won't forgive, or forget…" She said, choking on her tears. Equius didn't know what to do, or how to react, so he just watched her. "And SHE allowed him to do that to me… I just… Equius, I know its not appropriate, but can I hug you?" She asked, while wiping her tears away.

Equius pondered for a second, and he was a bit nervous to do so. But he allowed it, with caution. "Sure Ari. Just be careful." He warned. She nodded her head in agreement, and she sat up straight. He prepared himself for the hug, he turned himself to face her. She leaned in, and wrapped her arms around him. He flinched for a moment, silent and he slowly, and ever-so gently wrapped his arms around her.

She had a few sniffles here and there, but she slowly calmed herself down. His hug was warm, and like the bear hug she never got. He smelt a bit sweaty and salty, but she didn't mind too much. She almost kind of liked the smell of him, and he enjoyed her scent. She smelt of fruity citrus, with a light hint of chemicals from her lab. The hug lasted quite a bit, before Ari pulled away, looking up at Equius.

He looked down at the ginger colored girl, and for the first time in a while… A small smile crept onto his lips. "E-equius… Your… Smiling." She said softly. He nodded. "Well… The hug was nice… And your smell is nice too." He said while looking away with a flushed look on his face. Ari gave him a slight smile. "Heh, I think you have a nice smile. You should smile more." She said softly, while rubbing his forearm.

Equius couldn't help but blush more at Ari's touch; her hand was soft and warm. Ari had realized her actions, and she looked away. "A-aah sorry… I didn't mean to get so touchy like that…" She said, while removing her hand from his forearm. "Its fine Ari. You were in need of comfort." Equius said, while gently patting her arm. Ari looked up at him, and smiled warmly.

She was slowly opening up to Equius, something she hasn't ever really done before with ANYONE. They both sat on the couch, leaning back into it. Ari just stared at her ceiling, not really sure of what to really say or do. Before they knew it, it was kind of dark out, and Ari was still not tired. Doesn't help the fact that she's part night owl, and sleeps almost during the day.

Equius wasn't tired either, and he wanted to make sure that Ari didn't do anything to herself. They heard a knock at the door, causing Ari to nearly jump out of her skin. Equius tries to sit up, but to realize due to his body he accidentally sunk the couches' back support down. "I've got it…" She said, while grabbing her LARGE wrench before heading to the door. "...Speak!" She commanded.

To her relief, it was her cousins, and Nepeta. "Its us Ari!" Lexii said with an adorable giggle. Ari set the wrench back, and opened the door. She saw them in their pj's, holding a very sour looking Rexii by his arms. "We all couldn't sleep, so we came over here to cause some commotion!" Lexii said while patting Rexs' back. "What did TJ tell you about walking around at night like this?" Ari said with her stone cold face.

Lexii and Nepeta looked at each other. Ari sighed, and let them in. "Get in here, before someone tries to kidnap the both of you." She said, while moving out of the way. The girls drug in Rexii, while cackling together. Equius looked confused for a moment, seeing both of the girls come in with Rex. "Nepeta? Whats goin-OOF!" He started out, before being pounced on by Nepeta. "Hiya Equihiss!" She greeted him warmly.

She gave him a big hug, and he returned her hug while giving her a small chuckle. "I'm guessin' you guys wanna stay up with us?" Ari said, while closing her door, and locking it. Both of the girls nodded their heads. "Yes yes yes! Spontaneous slumber party!" They said, while cheering happily. Ari smirked softly. "Alright alright. Give me a second, I'll get in my jammies." She said, while making her way to her room.

Equius looked a bit bewildered. "Ah Nepeta must I engage in these shenanigans? I don't even have-" He started out, before she interrupted. "PJ's coming right up!" Lexii said, while handing him some bottoms, and a different tank top. Equius looked at the clothes he was given, the bottoms had little horses on them, while the tank top had a sleepy looking horse with a nightcap on.

Equius sweated a bit, and gave a small chuckle. "Heheh, how… Thoughtful of you. I suppose I will put these on." He said softly. Nepeta got off of his lap, and let him get up. Equius gets up, and heads into the bathroom to change. While those two were changing, the other three sat in the living room, unpacking a few shows, movies, drinks and snacks. Nepeta picks up the lemonade bottle, and hands it to Rexii.

He wasn't paying attention at first, so she called his name. "Rexii?" She said softly, catching his attention. He looked at her, ears perked. "Whats up- Oh! Uh, thanks. How'd you know I liked lemonade?" He asked softly. She had a small smile on her face. "Lexii told me of course! She said it was your favorite brand and all!" She answered sweetly. Her little smile just made Rexii flustered again, and he chuckled softly.

Ari came out in short shorts, thigh high socks, a tank top that read "Chibi Milk." on it, and her poofy hair in a neat looking bun. "Alright, I'm dressed now. Where'd Equius go?" She asked, while sitting down criss-cross next to Lexii. "He's in the bathroom getting changed!" Nepeta answered with a grin on her face. "Oh you guys got him something to wear for bed? Oh thank gods, his day clothes were gettin' rank." She said with a small chuckle.

Equius soon came out, dressed in his new pj's. "A-aah… I am dressed now." He said, while looking a bit flustered. Nepeta gave an adorable squeal, seeing her meowrail in his new jammies. "Aaaa Equihiss, mew look soooo cute!" She said with a giggle. Rexii couldn't help but chuckle himself, seeing a big serious guy in cute clothes was kinda cute.

Equius grinned, while sitting next to Ari. Lexii grabbed her phone, and scootched in close with everyone. "Guys we gotta get a pic! Come onnnn!" She said, feeling quite chipper. Rexii rolled his eyes, and scootched in. The others followed suit, and soon Lex had taken the picture of everyone. She looked at the picture, grinned, and nearly had tears in her eyes from what she saw.

Rex creeped up behind, and looked at the photo. His heart skipped a beat, and he smiled softly as well. "W-wow… Just… Like the old days huh?" He asked her. She looked up and nodded. "Hey hey! Don't hog it! We wanna see!" Nepeta said, crawling over Rexii's back. She quickly found out that was a BAD idea; Rexii was ticklish, and started laughing, and wriggling about.

He accidentally shook her down, but before she could get hurt, he grabbed a hold of her. "H-hey! No falling!" He said, with a small smirk on his cheeks. Their eyes caught for a second, and they looked away. "A-ahem. Lex, the picture?" He said, while clearing his throat. Lexii shook away her thoughts, and handed them her phone. "Here ya go! Sorry, my mind was elsewhere." She said with a goofy giggle.

Ari and Equius peeked at the photo; the photo showed everyone all together with big smiles. It was almost nostalgic for the furs. "...You know Lex… I still have that picture y'know." She said softly. "I wanna see it…" Lexii said softly. "Sure, go in my room, and look in the big white book on my dresser." Ari directed. Lexii nodded, jumping up, and running into her cousins room.

Before anyone could blink, Lexii came back out with the photo. "I've got it! We… Looked so different back then…" She said softly, while looking down at the photograph. She passed the picture around for everyone to see. The picture was of a younger version of all of them, but there were two other people there to replace Equius and Nepeta. More ironically speaking, an olive colored cat girl, and an indigo blue colored horse boy.

Nepeta looked at Equius for a moment, then back at the picture. "...Who were those two, Ari?" She asked softly. Ari was quiet for a moment, but soon gave a reply. "Those two were our friends back then. Lucy McDona and Buckly Stider. We were all the BEST of friends, hung out together, ate together, all sorts… But then…" She answered, while looking away. Equius put his hand on her shoulder to help calm her.

She just covered her face, with tears streaming down. "...Lucy had committed suicide at our graduation due to severe life complications… And Buckly just… Disappeared. Never to be seen again. Last we heard, he was going for a walk, and we've never heard from him again. We just assumed he was dead." Ari said, while trying to hold in her tears. Her cousins were doing their best to not cry as well, but Lexii just let her tears flow.

_That was quite dark. I'm terribly sorry for the major dark themes you may/may not have read, but I promise the next chapter will be more light hearted and goofy.~_


End file.
